Trading Brand for Influence is the title of Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk’s October 18 lecture which will explain the influence of regional context on the design of urban space and buildings. History, culture, climate, and adaptation to climate change all figure into the equation.

Plater-Zyberk is an internationally known urban planner and architect. She and her husband, Andres Duany, own DPZ Partners with offices in Miami; Washington, D.C.; Portland, Ore.; and Berlin, Germany. The pair co-founded the Congress for the New Urbanism, a non-profit with the goal of transforming the built environment “from ad-hoc suburban sprawl towards human-scale neighborhood development.”

A leader in promoting walkable, resilient urban design, Plater-Zyberk is a recognized leader in the New Urbanism movement and a co-founder of the Congress for the New Urbanism. Her range of teaching, professional practice, and research includes new community design, community rebuilding, regional plans and zoning. She has received numerous awards and recognitions, has co-authoredSuburban Nation: the Rise of Sprawl and the Decline of the American Dream (more than 85,000 sold), and The New Civic Art: Elements of Town Planning.

During the lecture, Plater-Zyberk will address these learning objectives:

Understand application of principles of urban design at scales ranging from region to neighborhood to street, block, and building

The lecture is sponsored by the Department of Urban Planning. Urban planners are communicators, problem solvers, and community organizers. They envision ways to improve the quality of life, preserve the environment, transport people, design neighborhoods, and encourage economic development. Stop by the Urban Planning office in AB 327 anytime to learn more about the profession.